AQuick answer
State lottery tickets are regulated gambling products sold only through licensed retailers. Custom promotional scratch-off cards are marketing pieces: they can look similar but are legally coupons or sweepstakes, not lottery. Custom scratch-off cards are given away, never sold as a paid chance to win a prize. Only state-authorized entities can print or sell true lottery tickets.
Marketers frequently ask 'can I print lottery tickets?' The answer is no, but you can print custom promotional scratch-offs that look and feel like lottery tickets, without running afoul of gambling law. Here's how they differ.
Side-by-side
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Dimension | Promotional scratch-off | State lottery ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Legal category | Coupon or sweepstakes | Regulated gambling |
| Who can print | Any commercial printer | State-authorized security printers only |
| Payment for card | Free (no purchase required) | Paid purchase |
| Prize funding | Sponsor / advertiser | State lottery fund |
| Compliance | FTC sweepstakes rules if grand prize | State gaming commission |
| Use cases | Marketing, fundraising, events | State revenue generation only |
The verdict
Our recommendation
Verdict
You cannot legally print state lottery tickets: those are produced by security printers under gaming-commission contract. You CAN print custom promotional cards that mimic the look and feel of lottery tickets for marketing, fundraising, and event use, as long as they follow sweepstakes and no-purchase-necessary rules.
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions
Ready when you are
Let's price your scratch-off campaign
Send us the format and quantity you're comparing; we'll match it with the closest scratch-off spec and quote in one business day.